Posts Tagged ‘Facebook’

Five conditions for cultivating a successful Facebook strategy: PART TWO

By Darrell Cook

4. The best brand-building vehicle

Rather than looking to sell products through your Facebook page, recognize that most Fans are seeking an educational experience. The more value-added information you can provide, the more your brand will become a trusted resource. As you begin your Facebook strategy, think about how you can help your Fan base. Provide good advice by educating them about topics based on your area of expertise. A good example is to feature a post about “the top ten things to look for when buying a (your company’s offering). Fans love to be informed. Taking a leadership position on specific topics can secure trust and brand loyalty. A good way to learn more is to follow Facebook marketing to discover how Facebook drives results with other organizations.

5. The use of promotional coupons

I am often asked about the use of coupons with Facebook. Used wisely, coupons on Facebook can become a leading sales channel. However, this tool is frequently misused; for example, the company that offers coupons on Facebook just to sell items so they can clear inventory, or using coupons to drive sales that coerce consumers into purchasing additional items. These tactics rarely get results and will turn off Fans. The best use of promotional coupons is when Fans select the “deal.” Try posting three different coupons and ask your Fans to participate by selecting which they feel would be the best offer. The most Fan votes to a particular coupon will be the one you should move forward with. By doing this, your Fans enjoy the gamesmanship of voting. Moreover, Fans appreciate the fun, and by posting voting results throughout the contest, you can even get Fans to solicit other non-Fans to become members so they can boost the voting for the non-leading coupon.

Conclusion

Every small business can increase their brand strength through a Facebook presence. By using the tips in this article, you can quickly get started promoting your company and building a Fan base. Use your website to post a Facebook invite, along with including your Facebook page URL on signatures, letterhead, labels, etc. Learning how to advertise on Facebook is a great way to promote your business. Facebook even offers a number of guidelines and recommendations to get you started. The main thing is to get started right away and enjoy all the valuable relationships you can create.

Darrell is Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Conversys. His focus is to steward the North American growth for Digital Promotions Marketing. His career spans a wide range of technology and Internet companies throughout North America and the UK. From small start-ups to Fortune 500 firms, Darrell excels at bridging offline business processes with effective online channels. He is currently a Board of Director of the Retail Advertising and Marketing Club of Canada (RAC), and former Board of Director of the Internet Advertising Bureau of Canada.

Posted by Lynnette in Growing Your Biz on March 18th, 2011

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Five conditions for cultivating a successful Facebook strategy: PART ONE

By Darrell Cook

Ok, you own a small business and you’re trying to figure out the best approach for using Facebook to help grow your brand, increase your sales and drive new customers. This can be challenging, as there is little enough time in your day to read a Facebook profile, let alone write and maintain one. Furthermore, your experience in social media is limited. You’ve read a number of articles and looked at a few Facebook pages, but overall, you are in uncharted waters. After reviewing a number of social media case studies for small business owners, I have put together five conditions for cultivating a successful Facebook strategy.

1. In for a penny, in for a pound

Facebook fans expect a lot for their participation. Their attention spans are exceedingly short, especially if your Facebook content is only changed sporadically or you wait too long to update information. For the best results while hosting and managing a Facebook page, get into a weekly (or daily) habit of updating content, changing images, adding incentives and providing good educational and informative content. Fans will see your commitment and give you their “attention monopoly” if you follow this rule.

2. Slow and steady wins the race

Savvy marketers know that promotion depends on multiple reoccurrences for impact. Therefore, when building your Facebook strategy, count on a slow drip of Fan increases rather than a home run promotion that doubles and triples your fan base. With the fragmentation of information out there, Fans are choosy about which Facebook pages they get sticky with. The good news: the difference between Facebook vs. more traditional marketing/promotional channels means that the small business owner needs only invest as little as two hours per week. Over time, your Fans will begin to provide feedback and start communicating directly with you. Although entrepreneurs start off enthusiastically, it’s important to remember that you are building a relationship with your Fans and not building a selling channel. It takes time to build trust.

3. Interact with each fan

Since the Fan base for small business owners is typically smaller than that of large organizations, who can have upwards of tens of thousands of Fans, small business owners can use this opportunity to reach out to their Fans more intimately by building a direct connection to hearing their voices. It’s a good idea to interact with each new fan on an individual basis. The viral effect of this intimacy can become greatly appreciated across unknown groups. The most hidden sub-culture within Facebook is comprised of the local “Mom” groups looking for family-friendly activities, sharing parenting ideas and yes, learning about good products and services from other group members. You never know if you have a Fan that may be part of a larger group that can springboard additional Fan participation and loyalty.

Stay tuned for PART TWO of Five conditions for cultivating a successful Facebook strategy on Monday.

Darrell is Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Conversys. His focus is to steward the North American growth for Digital Promotions Marketing. His career spans a wide range of technology and Internet companies throughout North America and the UK. From small start-ups to Fortune 500 firms, Darrell excels at bridging offline business processes with effective online channels. He is currently a Board of Director of the Retail Advertising and Marketing Club of Canada (RAC), and former Board of Director of the Internet Advertising Bureau of Canada.

Posted by Lynnette in Growing Your Biz on March 16th, 2011

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The Search for Bananas: Building Better Websites, PART TWO (continued from Friday)

By Rick Sloboda

Make it easy for visitors to share what they find on your site.

Godin liked the “send this page to a friend” functionality offered by some websites. By providing a little bit of information, such as name and email address, visitors could email pages to friends.

Since the publication of Godin’s book, the ability to share online information with friends and colleagues has grown exponentially. Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter make it easy for visitors to share with their networks. Today, sharing a favourite blog post or YouTube video is as easy as a single click.

This kind of sharing has become an important marketing tool. By starting an online conversation with your customers and their networks, you can develop a stronger web presence and drive more sales.

The Best of Today’s Websites Emphasize Marketing, Not Technology

Websites have grown up, and many have adopted Godin’s ideas and recommendations. Technology has become a means, not an end. Websites are segmented to target different audiences. Sharing has become a critical marketing tactic and tool. So don’t lose too much sleep over that little monkey. He’s often getting his bananas, and some chocolate sauce too.

What do you think? Are websites doing a better job of meeting the needs of visitors? Which websites are setting new standards of excellence and which are stuck back in 2002?

Rick Sloboda is a Senior Web Copywriter at Webcopyplus, which helps designers and businesses boost online traffic, leads and sales with optimized web content. Clients range from independent retailers to some of the world’s largest service providers, including AT&T (formerly Cingular), Quest Diagnostics and Scotia Bank. Rick advocates clear, concise and objective website content that promotes readability and usability, and conducts web content studies with organizations in Europe and the U.S., including Yale University. He speaks frequently at web-related forums and seminars, including Small Business BC, Content Convergence & Integration, SUCCESS and HRMA. Rick also serves as a consultant to various organizations, such as the Web Development Advisory Committee at Vancouver, B.C.’s Langara College.

Posted by Lynnette in Getting Organized, Technology on February 28th, 2011

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7 ways to build your brand with social media and 3 ways to ruin it.

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Social media is becoming a force to be reckoned with in terms of building your company’s brand equity and strength. And according to brand expert  Jennifer Bourn, there are a handful of steps you ought to take to maintain and build your brand’s value:

1. Secure your social media brand: Register your name and business name on a variety of social media sites. Even if you don’t plan on using a site, you might want to consider securing your name anyway for future use. NameChk.com and Knowem.com are two free sites to help you get started.

2. Keep your message focused: “By keeping a consistent message across all social media sites and platforms, you build brand recognition that pays off over time.”

3. Provide value your audience will appreciate: “Providing links to valuable articles and resources, sharing your recent blog post, etc., are all ways to help your audience and share your expertise.”

4. Showcase your personality: “Share posts that give your network a glimpse into your personal life…These posts will provide opportunities for your network to connect with you on a deeper and more meaningful level.”

5. Remember to be social: “Social networks are just that – social networks. If all you do is post information and links [without interacting] with your audience, you are missing the most important part of building a successful social media brand – building strong relationships.”

6. Keep your avatar/profile photo consistent: “Using a photo of your dog or cat is useless to your network and frankly, it makes you seem unprofessional.”

7. Help others: “When you read a good blog post, article, press release or social networking post, tell other people about it and share the link.”

How about damaging your brand using social media?

While social media has the power to help humanize your brand and connect you with your customers, Internet strategist, B.L. Ochman, cautions businesses to use some common sense when they wade into the new medium.

1. If you start a Twitter account or Facebook page, use it: “All it really takes to slow down an issue is a human being responding quickly to say something as simple as ‘Thanks for making us aware of this issue. We are checking it now.’ And then, the company has a reasonable amount of time to say what went wrong.”

2. Track your brand with monitoring tools: “The Internet is 24/7. Brand monitoring has to be constant. Pick [a tool]. Use it.”

3. Don’t keep your social media program a secret: “Corporate silos just don’t work in social media.” Make sure everyone in your company knows about your social media presence.

How have you used social media to enhance your brand? Where do you feel social media falls short?

Posted by Lynnette in Growing Your Biz, Marketing on July 20th, 2010

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Tech Tuesdays: 5+ social marketing start-up tips for your small business.

For those who still aren’t sold on the social media phenomenon, these and these numbers ought to get your attention, or at least give you pause:

  • Social media adoption by small businesses doubled in 2009 from 12% to 24%.
  • 59% of small businesses with a social media presence say it has provided value.
  • 49% say their social media presence has produced advocates for their business.
  • 65% say they actively use it for promotion.
  • 1 in 5 small business owners are actively using social media, including blogs, Facebook and LinkedIn profiles.

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So if you’re considering dipping your toe in the social media sea, here are 5 of 30 musts you might want to keep in mind from inc.com:

1. Pull back the curtain: “Offering a sneak preview of new products, services or features online can help build demand and provide critical feedback to help smooth the launch.”

2. Be candid: “In unsure economic times, transparency goes a long way toward retaining and attracting customers. Giving readers the scoop on your company blog is an easy way to keep the lines of communication open.”

3. Reward customer loyalty: “Sprinkles Cupcakes, in Beverly Hills, California, uses Twitter to send out daily promotional offers. The tweets, which ask customers to whisper a ‘password’ to receive a free treat, have helped the company draw more than 17,000 followers.”

4. See what they’re saying about you: “A quick search for mentions of your company on Facebook, Twitter and Yelp can yield a goldmine of information concerning your reputation.” The owner of one Chicago bookstore focused on improving customer service after reading comments online.

5. Help others promote you: “Social media can help you find passionate customers who are more than willing to spread the word about your company. Crafts supplies manufacturer Fiskars reached out to scrapbookers by inviting four avid users to blog. Its crafts community has since attracted 5,000 users who serve as brand evangelists.

You’ll find some additional small business social media tips here and here.

Have you already gone social? What advice can you offer?

Posted by Lynnette in Technology on July 13th, 2010

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Small business: The new digital economy

By Darrell Cook

Small business has an advantage over the big corporations – speed to market. In today’s fast paced information age, small businesses that send messages over the new digital channels are the ones that are reaping profits and gaining market share. Moreover, a sustaining communication strategy with a mix of a strong website, email, and social media can generate a breakthrough performance. These new digital tactics for marketing are creating a very significant digital economy for small business.

In the 2010 survey conducted by Constant Contact on the most important tools for marketing small business, it was identified that 92% of small business owners felt their website was the most important tactic, while 88% agreed that email marketing was highly significant and necessary. Most impressive was the 50% of small businesses who recognized that Facebook was increasingly valid for their marketing.

So how does a small business owner, on a shoe string marketing budget, use these important tools to get ahead of their competition? Here are a few tips to get started or enhance your current marketing program.

Focus on highlighting action items on your website’s Home Page and maximize sales

Too often I see websites with Home Pages that are more information driven that action driven. Far too many Home Pages are populated with a lot of unnecessary text and oversized stock photography to make their site look pretty. Focus on bringing your unique offerings up front and tell the viewer exactly what you can do for them in a single Tag line right at the top. Position high on the Home Page your special offers or your seminars/programs. The first thing a visitor wants to know is what do you do and why is it beneficial for them.  You will find that your visitors that go deeper within your website are more likely to buy, your search engine ranking will be tailored automatically to more qualified buyers and your referrals will have higher close ratios.

Focus on the messages and maximize loyalty

Where email has success is in 2 specific areas: Your subject line and your opening offer. By building a sensational subject line you can avoid the “me too” cheesy spam messaging and become meaningful to your email subscribers. Loyalty is built through trust. Therefore, be honest, specific and up front about the content of the email through a poignant subject line that speaks to solving a problem. Once the click though happens, then part two is providing right up front the offer validating the subject line. Keeping it short, simple and helpful will increase viewership and likely expand your subscriber list.

Focus on Facebook and maximize your brand

Facebook is a unique community of dedicated fans and honest feedback. The largest fear I hear from companies about Facebook is the possibility of negative marketing. You will be surprised that by creating a loyal fan base on Facebook can be the best experience. Yes, they will tell you how they are experiencing your offerings but mostly in a constructive and positive manner. For the ones who get out of line, your Facebook fans come to your rescue and defend your brand/offering. It is a community like no other and one that should be part of your marketing program. It can find niche audiences and build your brand across many boundaries that might take hundreds of thousands of dollars in a traditional media buy.

Overall, the X factor in marketing any business is the combination of the right offering, to the right audience, at the right time. In today’s world you can’t afford to overlook the new digital economy.

About Darrell Cook

Darrell CookDarrell is Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Conversys. His focus is to steward the North American growth for Digital Promotions Marketing. His career spans a wide range of technology and Internet companies throughout North America and the UK. From small start-ups to Fortune 500 firms, Darrell excels at bridging offline business processes with effective online channels. He is currently a Board of Director of the Retail Advertising and Marketing Club of Canada (RAC), and former Board of Director of the Internet Advertising Bureau of Canada.

Posted by Lynnette in Growing Your Biz on June 9th, 2010

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Moving Marketing From Your Eyes To Your Hands

By Mitch Joel – President, Twist Image & author of Six Pixels of Separation

I have a personal gripe with anyone who questions what Social Media can do for their business.

We toss around the words “Social Media” as if it’s like saying, “I need a 30-second spot.” It’s a mistake. We keep on making it, and things have to start changing soon before it becomes a hollow term (or worse, a fad). Unlike other media channels, Social Media is many different types of content (text, images, audio and video) with many different types of platforms and channels on which the content plays out (Blogging, video sharing sites, virtual worlds, Podcasting, micro-Blogging, online social networks, photo sharing, mobile, widgets, apps, etc…). It’s not push marketing and it’s not pull marketing either, it’s more of a group expression (to steal a concept that Clay Shirky discusses in his outstanding, best-selling business book, Here Comes Everybody) where a concept can be explored, shared, posted elsewhere, mashed-up, expanded upon or completely re-invented.

Sounds confusing? It is.

One person’s Twitter feed is another person’s spam pit. What works for a brand in Facebook might crash and burn on YouTube. Some people are still experiencing great ROI from their current efforts in Second Life, and while many are quick to call MySpace as dead as Friendster, there are many musicians, filmmakers, authors and artists who still have a healthy and robust community (that keeps on growing) on MySpace with no plans of slowing down.

Social Media isn’t a fad, but big brands can make it look like it is.

We tend to measure the success of Social Media using traditional mass media metrics (audience size, amount of advertising revenue, etc…). We’re getting it all wrong. Social Media is not about advertising… it’s about Marketing. Authentic Marketing. Ethical Marketing. Social Media is about creating engagement with consumers and getting those that are uber-excited about your brand to connect even closer (to the brand and other denizens or evangelists). In essence, we’re mining for the quality over quantity of people who can best connect to our brands, but we continually stumble into the mass media metrics trap.

Will big brands only care when Facebook has 500 million users?

Facebook recently surpassed 400 million users, and it’s somewhat humorous (and a little bit tragic) to think that brands and marketers usually only care about a channel or opportunity when the masses are there (as if 10 million is paltry). The smarter brands are slowly weaning themselves off of this very traditional metric and are starting to look at who they are connected and not how many people they are connected to.

So, what’s the big deal?

The old Web and traditional mass media were always about “eyes” – how many people were looking at the content (remember in the early days of the Web, how excited we all got over the amount “eyeballs” and “stickiness” our websites had?) Social Media changes the body parts from “eyes” to “hands”. What are people doing with this content? What are they creating with it? How are they sharing it? How are they re-inventing and creating their own pieces of content around it?

It’s a big deal. It’s a big change.

Do your own brand analysis and figure out how much of your content, media and marketing can people simply look at with their eyes versus their ability to use their own two hands to really do stuff with it (and that includes very simple stuff like writing a short review)?

It’s a great question to ask, and I wonder how many times it has been asked in the boardrooms across this great, big world?

 

MitchMitch Joel is President of Twist Image — an award-winning Digital Marketing and Communications agency. In 2008, Mitch was named Canada’s Most Influential Male in Social Media, one of the top 100 online marketers in the world, and was awarded the highly-prestigious Canada’s Top 40 Under 40. His first book, Six Pixels of Separation (published by Grand Central Publishing – Hachette Book Group), named after his successful Blog and Podcast is a business and marketing best-seller. You can find him here: www.twistimage.com/blog

Posted by Lynnette in Marketing, Technology on April 13th, 2010

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Tech Tuesdays: Who says Canadians are social butterflies?

The cynical among us might be tempted to call the social media craze a fad. But if the results of new studies by Cossette and Coleman Parkes Research are any indication, social media vehicles like Facebook, Twitter and blogging are rapidly becoming to email what Blu-Ray or DVD was to VHS (remember that?).

And because Canadians are adopting the new media faster than most, it’s important that you understand what it’s all about and how it can benefit your business.

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According to Coleman Parkes, over 68% of Canadian companies see social networking as an important component to helping them collaborate. Canadian business leaders also appear to have a much higher appreciation for the potential of social media than executives in other countries. In fact, 40% fear they’ll fall behind competitors who embrace the new technologies.

Cossette’s study offers five major observations about the social media phenomenon in Canada and around the world, including:

1. Social media is quickly replacing email: Email is still the most ubiquitous way to communicate online but among those aged 18 to 24, social networking beats email 26% to 15%.

2. Facebook could be the next Google: Two-thirds of social media activity takes place on Facebook – in Canada it’s an impressive 80%. And that activity is more than just mindless banter – 6 out of 10 regularly answer simple polling questions, 4 out of 10 follow links posted by others and 3 out of 10 read blogs, offering small businesses huge potential to get their messages out through word of mouth and advertising.

3. Users are paying attention: And speaking of word of mouth, two-thirds of online users consider the opinions of other online consumers, even while they’re not paying attention to companies directly advertising products.

4. Talking about brands: One-third of online users share information about the brands they love or hate with others – a trend that’s highest in the US, Canada and the UK.

If you need more information on the social media tools small businesses should consider right now, Amber MacArthur offers up her top five.

And to learn more about marketing your business using social media tools, check BizLaunch’s online calendar to sign up for free webinars.

Let us know about your recent successes – or failures – marketing with social media. We’d love to share your experiences with the community.

Posted by Lynnette in Technology on March 30th, 2010

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